Bishoujo to Youkai: The Beauty and the Demon
by EikaTsukiyomi
Summary: The classic tale of romance and enchantment, adapted from the Disney movie, starring Sesshōmaru as the enchanted prince and Kagome as Belle. Rated T for violence and sensuality
1. Prologue

The Cast of Inuyasha Presents:

美少女と妖怪

_Bishoujo to Youkai_

_Beauty and the Demon_

The classic tale of romance and enchantment, adapted from the Disney movie, starring Sesshōmaru as the enchanted prince and Kagome as Belle. Fantasy/Romance; Rated T for violence and sensuality

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Lord Sesshōmaru was the son of a great dog demon who, until his death, had ruled over the western lands. As his father's heir, Sesshōmaru was to inherit and watch over the great demon's domain.

But he had absolutely no desire to spend his days living in a shining castle.

First, while the castle was surrounded and hidden by a thick forest, it was far too close to a human town for his taste. Indeed, he viewed humans as being as weak and contemptible as insects.

Second, being waited on hand and foot all day was not a luxury he craved, especially when at least half of the castle staff was human. Quite the contrary, what he wanted was to seek greater power on his own in the outside world, slaying any opponent that dare oppose him, and eventually surpass his father in power.

And third, to reign over the western lands would require him to eventually take a mate and produce an heir who would succeed him in the event that he should ever meet an untimely death. The very thought disgusted him. Hadn't his father met his end after falling in love, with a human woman no less? No, a mate was the _last_ thing he wanted.

All of this, he felt, was reason enough for him to renounce the throne and leave his father's former vassals to do whatever they wanted.

"My lord, please reconsider!" cried Myōga the flea demon, giving away his hiding place in Sesshōmaru's hair. "You are the only one fit to take the throne! If you won't rule over the western lands in your father's place, who will?!"

Sesshōmaru halted on his way through the entrance hall. He could hear the pitter-patter of his vassal, Jaken, scurrying to catch up with him.

He had just about had it with the lot of them. Didn't they know it was useless to try to change his mind? While he tolerated (_tolerated_, not liked) Jaken and had allowed him to serve him for centuries, the imp-like demon knew best of all the servants what happened to those who defied him. And his father's vassal, that old flea…to think he had the nerve and the stupidity to hide himself _on_ him…

Jaken skidded to a halt behind him, clutching the Staff of Two Heads. Sesshōmaru turned his head just enough to give him an icy leer. Jaken flinched.

"Jaken…"

"Yes!" the little demon squawked, stiffening with fear.

"Will you, too, attempt to stop me from leaving this place?"

"No, my lord!" he cried in his croaky little voice. "I have pledged myself to you for all eternity! I will follow you anywhere!"

Such a sentiment was not exactly comforting, but it meant at least here was one fool he would definitely _not_ have to cut down on his way to the doors. He turned his attention to the infuriating blood-sucker hidden somewhere in his hair.

"You are in no position to stop me," he said. "As to my father's throne…I have no desire to ascend to a position of royalty. True strength, the only kind of power I desire, is acquired only through struggle and conquest, and I will not find it here in this castle filled with weak human vermin."

"But, Lord Sesshōmaru—"

Myōga's protests were cut off as Sesshōmaru swiftly combed his fingers through his long white hair and succeeded in catching hold of the old flea in his hand. He lazily tossed the tiny demon over his shoulder.

"Do what you will with the throne," he said, not caring if the flea heard or not. "It doesn't concern me."

With that, he resumed his leisurely stride toward the castle doors.

"Um…Lord Sesshōmaru?" Jaken piped up timidly.

Sesshōmaru didn't even bother to respond. The exasperating green demon rarely needed prompting to speak his frequent doubts, even though anything he said that annoyed the demon lord would usually earn him a lump on the head big enough to displace the little hat he wore on his bald head, regardless of the chinstrap that held it in place. Why, after all these years, he hadn't learned to hold his tongue was anyone's guess, unless he really was as stupid as he looked.

"It's the middle of the night and it's freezing cold outside! Maybe we could wait until spring to leave, when the weather's a bit warmer…?"

He was just considering whether it was worth the energy to hit Jaken, when his keen demon hearing picked up the sound of a feeble knock on the castle doors.

"Huh? Who's walking around outside in this blizzard?!" Jaken demanded aloud.

Sesshōmaru kept walking. Whoever it was could just move aside for him and let the castle servants look after him. He would let nothing stand his way, even if it was a child dying of hunger.

He pushed the right-side door open, not caring if it knocked over whoever was outside. It _was _cold outside, with at least a foot of snow on the ground and icy winds sweeping through the trees. It mildly surprised him, therefore, to see who it was that had made to his doorstep: his sharp demon's eyes made out the stooped figure of an old woman, clothed in a black traveling cloak and leaning on a wooden walking stick. Her wizened and wrinkled face was just visible under the hood. She was clearly weak from hunger and cold, shivering violently and barely able to stand.

He couldn't care less.

"My lord…" the woman croaked, barely audible over the wind. "I have traveled a long way and can go no farther in this bitter cold. Won't you let me rest here tonight?" She reached inside her cloak and drew out a single red rose, in perfect bloom despite the harshness of the season. "In return for your kindness, please accept this beautiful rose as a gift of thanks."

Sesshōmaru sneered at the woman's proffered gift. He had no fondness for flowers, and he felt no pity; not for this woman, and not for any living soul.

"You're in my way," he replied coldly. "Stand aside."

The old woman cackled softly, seemingly not intimidated. Sesshōmaru was stunned; could she not see it was a great demon she faced?

"Does my old face repulse you, Lord?" she crackled. She looked up into his face; she was missing several teeth and her beady little eyes were heavily bloodshot. He wondered if her eyesight was even clear enough to see him for what he was. "Don't be so easily deceived by appearances; you can always find beauty within."

His stoic face hardened into a piercing glare; he could feel his demon blood starting to boil. This frail, wretched human had the impudence to lecture him when she was at his mercy?

"I don't know what you're barking about, old crone," he snarled. "But I care not for beauty, in any face or form, and I feel no pity. Not for you, not for anyone." He raised his right hand threateningly and flexed his claws. "Now, get out of my way!"

Jaken, lingering in the doorway, gaped at the old woman in shock. Why didn't she move? Didn't she realize Lord Sesshōmaru wouldn't hesitate to kill her?

"No pity, eh?" the old woman echoed. "I see…you feel not the slightest shred of compassion, do you…Lord Sesshōmaru?"

"Wh-wh-wh-what! Why, you insolent old hag!" blurted Jaken. He shook the Staff of Two Heads at her angrily, though he wouldn't come away from the shelter of the castle doorway. "Do you not value your life?! How dare you insult Lord Sesshō—wait! How do you know his name?!"

Sesshōmaru had just been preparing to kill the old women with his poison whip, when he froze after hearing Jaken. How _did_ she know his name? Having not yet taken the throne, he was mostly unknown to humans, as he had always avoided human settlements whenever possible. And hadn't she just stumbled across this place on her travels?

"I know your name because I've searched for you, Lord Sesshōmaru," the old women murmured. "And it's a good thing I came, too. The way your heart is now, you're not fit to take the throne."

"What?!" he growled, now struggling to keep his rage from boiling over. His claws glowed with an acid-green light. Just as he prepared to slice the old hag in two, however, the icy wind suddenly died, and silence fell on the castle steps. He could sense a sacred aura settling around the two of them. It seemed this old woman was not all that she seemed. But, surely she couldn't be…not with an aura _this_ powerful…

"Awk! Lord Sesshōmaru!" Jaken yelped, gazing transfixed at the old hag's stooped figure, now surrounded with a blinding light. Sesshōmaru didn't move. He was frozen in place with shock, as the old woman ugliness seemed to melt away. Her hood flew back, revealing grizzled grey hair that was turning glossy black before his eyes. The wrinkles, warts, and pockmarks were disappearing, her face becoming fair and youthful. Her stooped figure straightened, growing willowy and graceful. A great gust of wind blew her cloak away, revealing the red and white garb of a miko. What truly stunned Sesshōmaru, however, was the bow the now young woman held in her hand: it was ornately sculptured like a work of art and shone like polished crystal. There was no quiver of arrows over the miko's shoulder to shoot with this bow.

"Lord Sesshōmaru," the woman spoke, her voice now smooth and melodious. "I have gazed into your heart, and I find no love within it. I cannot allow you to go forth from this place, nor can I allow your wish to be granted."

Sesshōmaru's lips were ever so slightly parted in disbelief, but somehow he couldn't summon back the anger that seemed to have vanished with the woman's ugliness.

Jaken's mouth hung open. He was now cowering behind the door. Was his lord, the almighty Sesshōmaru, transfixed with fear? While he could understand the shock of seeing a weak, old women transform into a miko, Lord Sesshōmaru was a great demon, the mightiest of them all! He feared no one, let alone a human woman!

"My name is Kikyō," the miko continued. "Perhaps, someday, you will come to thank me…" She raised her empty bow and slowly pulled back the string. "…if you succeed in passing my test."

"Pass your test?" Sesshōmaru echoed, at last finding his voice. He meant to sound outraged, but he only sounded staggered. He tried to raise his hand again to deliver a fatal blow, and discovered to his horror that he couldn't move. The insolent wench had put a spell on him, and he hadn't even noticed!

As if by magic, an arrow of light appeared in the priestess's bow, aimed directly at him. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.

"Lord Sesshōmaru!" Jaken cried in horror from his hiding place.

Kikyō fired.

The arrow of light emitted a musical whistle as it flew through the air and embedded itself in Sesshōmaru's chest, shattering the part of his armor that protected his heart. He collapsed to one knee, grasping the shaft of the arrow. He was unable to remove it. Yet, strangely, no blood spilled from the wound, and his heart seemed unharmed, though he was sure the arrow had pierced it.

Resistant as he was to pain, it was a couple of seconds before he noticed the uncomfortable sensation that was spreading through his body from the point where the arrow had pierced him: a burning, melting feeling that seeped all the way down into his bones. An eerie sound, like the sizzling of flesh and creaking of bones reached his ears. Looking down at his hands, he could see (and feel) them growing larger, his slender fingers shortening and thickening, his claws curving, and white fur growing from his pale skin. They were becoming hideous paws, no longer humanoid, yet not quick dog-like.

Every part of his body now burning like fire, growls of pain were escaping him as he could feel his bones stretching and bending all over. He could hear his armor cracking and his kimono tearing from the strain of his growing form.

It might have anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes before it was finally over. The arrow vanished, and Sesshōmaru, now panting from the pain of the transformation, slowly lifted his head to gaze up at Kikyō, who was watching him. He could hear Jaken making horrified choking sounds behind him.

Kikyō slung her bow over her shoulder and held out the rose that she had offered him while in her disguise as an old woman.

"This rose is enchanted, and will bloom until your six-hundredth year. If you can learn to love another, and earn her love in return, by the time the last petal falls, then my spell will be broken, and you will regain control of your form. If not, you will be doomed to remain as you are now for all time."

As the meaning of Kikyō's words sank in, his mind reeled with horror and outrage. Learn to love another, and earn her love in return? This woman was asking for the impossible!

"That will never be!" Sesshōmaru snarled. His voice was slightly distorted with his lengthened jaws. "Love is an unacceptable weakness of the will. I, Sesshōmaru, care for no one!"

Kikyō inclined her head to him.

"So be it. But unless you break my spell, you will live out the rest of your existence in that form. Farewell."

As she turned to leave, Sesshōmaru stood up, intending to strike her down for cursing him, but he stumbled and fell in his now unfamiliar body. When he picked himself up out of the snow, she was gone.

Straightening up, he gazed at the place where Kikyō disappeared, feeling his rage slowly approaching boiling point. Finally, he raised his head to the sky and let out a howling roar. If Jaken screamed with terror and retreated into the castle, he couldn't hear him over his own voice and the blood roaring in his ears.

With a great crash, Sesshōmaru smashed open the door to his room, still struggling to contain his rage until he was sure he was alone. He stumbled across the floor, bumping against the furniture and knocking over a small table. In the back of the room, he found Kanna of the Void waiting for him.

Kanna resembled a little human girl, but was completely colorless, with white skin, white hair, and white clothes. Her eyes were like two black tunnels. Sesshōmaru tolerated her presence because she was completely subservient, with no personality, no emotion, and no free will. Even better, she never spoke unless he wanted her to. She didn't even give off a demon aura of her own, and so he could easily forget she was even there. Indeed, even the sight of her master transformed into a monster elicited no response whatsoever from her.

What made her useful was the magic mirror she carried with her. It allowed one to see whatever one wished to see. Now that he was cursed, it would be his only window to the outside world.

He hesitantly approached her.

"Kanna…hold up your mirror."

Mutely, Kanna raised her mirror in front of her face and tilted it upward for him.

What he saw reflected there sent him over the edge.

His face was covered in short, white fur, and the markings on his face had shifted. His jaw was stretched, revealing sharpened dog's teeth. His forehead had receded, and the whites of his eyes had become blood red. It was as if he had started to assume his true form, but had never completed the transformation.

He was hideous.

With a roar of anguish, he began tearing the room apart. Kanna lowered her mirror and stared into space as her master smashed tables, flung chairs in all directions, and left deep gouges in the walls from his claws. The noise was deafening, but none of the castle staff dared to come anywhere near the west wing of the castle, where Sesshōmaru's room was. Even Jaken, who understood the reason for his master's rage, stayed well away from the din. He intended to keep quiet about what had happened with the miko, but, being a coward at heart, it didn't take much from the rest of the servants to make him spill all he knew, though he thought Lord Sesshōmaru might just kill him for it.

It was a long time before Lord Sesshōmaru emerged and allowed the rest of the servants to see him. They were all shocked at his appearance, of course, but only Shippou, the little fox demon, betrayed any sign of fear.

"Yikes!" he yelped. He quickly hid himself behind the legs of the Buddhist monk, Miroku.

"Lord Sesshōmaru!" exclaimed Miroku, his eyes widening as he gazed up at his master. "A miko really did this to you?"

Sesshōmaru scanned the group and picked out Jaken cowering in the back.

"Jaken…you told them, didn't you?" he growled.

"Ah!" Jaken threw down the Staff of Two Heads and began groveling on the floor with all his might. "Forgive me! Please forgive me, Lord Sesshōmaru! I tried to keep quiet, but they made me-!"

"Silence!"

Jaken froze and screwed his eyes shut, steeling himself for Sesshōmaru's wrath.

Sango, the demon slayer, stepped forward. (Why on earth would his father allow a _demon slayer_ to serve him? Some things he would never understand…)

"If you decide to punish anyone, Lord Sesshōmaru," she said. "Please punish all of us. We _did_ make Jaken confess all he knew. But, please know that we were only concerned for your well-being!"

Kirara, the demon cat, chirped her agreement with Sango.

"While we know you to be among the mightiest of demons, and more than capable of self-preservation," Miroku said, humbly bowing his head. "We, as your servants, would feel responsible if any misfortune should befall you, as we do now."

"Yes, yes!" piped up Myōga the flea, bouncing up and down to make himself seen. "Please, sire, let us help you break this curse!"

Sesshōmaru was silent, not entirely sure what to think. He didn't think he would have cared if the staff had all been too terrified to approach him. It was never his wish to be served, after all. It was, however, a little surprising that this strange group of servants were so quick to pledge their loyalty to him, especially considering the state he was in. None of them really knew him, and he had no desire to know any of them…so, why?

_Learn to love another…and earn her love in return…_

Kikyō's words echoed inside his head. Even if he was willing to accept their aid, they couldn't help him break this spell…

"Do as you please," he finally said to them all. "But your sentiments are useless. I will never love another."

With that, he turned and left to retreat to his room once again.

Sesshōmaru retrieved the enchanted rose, which had somehow escaped harm during his rampages, and placed it on a small table under a protective glass dome. Day after day, he gazed at it, torn by his feelings of helplessness over his fate. Even if he threw away all his demon pride and sought the one who could break his spell, what was the use? The only thing about him that might have attracted a mate, the indefinable beauty he possessed in his humanoid form, was lost to this curse. There was nothing in his heart which a woman would find worth loving.

As the years passed, Lord Sesshōmaru began to slowly fall into the depths of despair. It seemed all hope for him was lost…for who could ever learn to love a beast?

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><p><strong>From the Author:<strong> I started writing this story back in September 2011, after reading another _Inuyasha_ fan fiction that adapted the fairy tale _Beauty and the Beast. _I wanted to create my own adaptation based on the Disney-movie version of _Beauty and the Beast, _and while I normally ship Sesshōmaru with Rin and not with Kagome, I felt that Kagome was much better suited to play the part of Belle in the story than Rin because of her personality, and the Sesshōmaru x Kagome pairing seems to be quite popular. For every other character in the story, the cast list just seemed to all come together after that!

However, as with a countless many other writing projects of mine, I lost interest in it after I ran into writer's block and _Inuyasha_ was no longer the anime I was most obsessed with at the time. Two years later, I remembered it and re-read what I had written so far, and decided that what I had was good enough that I was willing to continue it if it seemed like enough other people liked it and wanted to read more. And so, instead of letting it rot away in my documents library, I'm publishing the chapters I've written so far and leaving it to the readers to decide if it's worth continuing.

I welcome constructive criticism on how I can improve my writing. Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	2. There She Goes

**Chapter 1**

**There She Goes**

It was another beautiful day in the village, and so Kagome decided not to pass up the chance to take a trip into town while the weather was still mild.

Kagome Higurashi and her grandfather lived on the edge of a quaint little town, where they were caretakers of the village shrine. Over the hills just on the horizon loomed a dark, forbidding forest, where it was rumored demons lie in wait to pick off any weary travelers. Kagome's somewhat eccentric grandfather took advantage of his family's role as keepers of the shrine, and sold various charms and spells to the villagers designed to ward off demons.

Kagome lead a simple but happy life, helping her grandfather tend the shrine and feed the goats and chickens. She spent her spare time reading books that she borrowed from the town bookstore and dreaming of the day when she would finally find her grand purpose in life, perhaps by meeting her one true love.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning!"

As she walked into town, politely greeting everyone she encountered, Kagome was irresistibly reminded of what a _simple_ place the village was; nothing ever changed.

"Fresh bread, madam!" called the baker.

"I'll take two!" said a woman.

_This place…each day is just like the one before,_ Kagome thought wistfully. _There must be more to life than this!_

"There goes that Kagome," remarked the barber, watching Kagome pass below his shop window.

"She's a beautiful girl…but _odd_! She's nothing like the rest of us!" a passing lady muttered to her companion.

"Good morning, Kagome!" the baker called, spotting Kagome.

"Good morning, sir!" she said.

"Where are you off to?"

"The bookshop!" she replied enthusiastically. "I just finished a _great_ story, about a peach tree and an evil sage, and a—"

"_That's_ nice," the baker said, clearly not listening. "Mari!" he called through the window. "The baguettes! Hurry up!"

_Sigh…oh well!_ Kagome walked on, oblivious to the two women watching her.

"Just look at that Kagome—_distracted_, as usual!" said one.

"What a _puzzlement_ she is!" said the other.

Kagome reached the bookshop. A little bell tinkled as she passed through the door.

"Ah, Kagome!" said the store owner, an old man with fluffy white hair and small, round glasses.

"Good morning!" Kagome said happily. "I've come to return the book I borrowed!"

"Finished with it already?" he asked in surprise as he took the book from her.

"Oh, I couldn't put it down!" she replied, climbing up the ladder to browse the shelves. "Have you got anything new?"

The shop owner laughed and placed _The Human-Head Tree_ on the shelf beside him.

"Not since yesterday!" he chuckled.

"That's all right! I'll borrow—" her hand drifted back and forth, searching for an intriguing title. "—_this_ one!" She snatched up a red book and handed it down to the shop owner.

"_This_ one?" he remarked, gazing at the cover. "But you've already read this one—_twice_!"

"Oh, but it's my favorite!" Kagome cried. "Far off places, epic battles, magic spells, a _half-demon_ sealed to a _sacred tree_—"

The shop owner chuckled to himself as Kagome got down off the ladder.

"Well, if you like it that much, it's _yours_!"

"Oh, no!" she protested. "I couldn't—"

"I insist!"

"Well, thank you! Thank you very much!"

And with that, Kagome left the shop, opened the book and started reading as she walked. She was too absorbed to notice the villagers staring after her, muttering to each other.

"Such a strange girl, that Kagome…"

"With her _nose_ stuck in a _book_!"

"And her _head_ in the _clouds_!"

Kagome's feet carried her on, as if they had a mind of their own. If Kagome had a supernatural talent, it was her ability to read and walk at the same time without ever running into anything.

_I just love this part…when she finds Inuyasha bound to the tree of ages! But she won't learn who he is until later!_

Oblivious as she was, Kagome didn't notice that her presence had caught someone's attention: Naraku, the charismatic young lord who had taken residence in the town a few weeks ago. His servant girl, Kagura, was accompanying him.

"I don't know how you can enjoy taking walks in this place," Kagura complained, opening and closing her fan in the way she did when she was annoyed or bored. "Nothing ever _happens_!"

"It's true, Kagura," Naraku acknowledged in his velvety voice. "This village is filled with simpletons…but I have my sights set on _that one_."

Kagura followed her master's gaze with her own and raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh? That old shrine keeper's daughter?"

"That's the one," he said, not taking his cool, red eyes off Kagome.

Kagura sniffed and snapped her fan.

"I didn't think you were interested in women at all," she remarked boldly.

"Not women," he said, following Kagome as she miraculously moved around the various obstacles without glancing up from her book. "But perhaps I'm interested in _that_ woman."

"Humph," Kagura snorted. "Well, other than her possibly having a sixth sense for spatial awareness, I don't see what makes her so special." She reopened her fan with a flick of her wrist. "But, hey, don't let me stop you," she added offhandedly.

Naraku wasn't even listening to her. He was making his move, carefully maneuvering himself to end up in Kagome's path of travel.

Just as she started to pass him, Naraku leaned towards her just slightly and greeted her in a carrying murmur.

"Hello, Kagome."

"Good morning, Naraku," she replied easily, without missing a beat in her step.

Smirking slightly in amusement at Kagome's immunity to distraction, he reached out and neatly snatched the book out of her hands.

Kagome was instantly brought back to earth. Now wearing a displeased frown, she spun around and reached for where her book had disappeared to.

"Naraku, may I have my book back, please?" she said, trying not to sound as annoyed as she felt.

"I've been watching you, Kagome, and if you keep trying to read and walk at the same time, you might sustain an injury."

"It's nothing to worry about," she said, frowning. "I'm used to it; it's just multi-tasking!"

"Well, it's about time you took your head out of these books, and started paying attention to more _important_ things," Naraku said, holding up her book demonstratively in front of him. "It's not good for a young woman like you to read too much." He leaned in towards her just slightly to make sure he captured her gaze before she took back her prize. "You'll start forming unrealistic ideas about life and not notice everything that's happening around you."

"I'm perfectly aware of everything that's happening around me," Kagome protested, taking back her book. "If _anything_ interesting happened in this place, there's no way I _wouldn't_ notice! Well, I guess you coming here counts as something interesting," she added, and then immediately regretted it.

Naraku chuckled softly. A short distance away, Kagura wrinkled her nose in disgust at the direction their exchange was going.

"Why, thank you, Kagome," he said, sounding pleased. "Perhaps you would be willing to pay me a visit at my place of residence? I've seen many strange places on my travels, and…" Here he hesitated, earning a raised eyebrow from Kagura, who was reluctantly impressed. "…I wonder if we might enjoy sitting down for a while over tea and sweets and just…talk about the things I've seen and all of the things you've wanted to see."

"Uh…"

Kagome really hoped she could keep herself from blushing. Naraku _was_ quite handsome; with his thick, long, black hair and smooth, pale skin. Also, he probably _did_ have a very fascinating past. Yet, there was something about his piercing gaze and dark voice that made Kagome uncomfortable around him.

"Maybe some other time!" she said, turning away. "I have to get home and help my grandfather! Excuse me!"

Naraku smiled after Kagome as she left, clearly trying to hurry off without looking hurried. Seeing that their conversation was over, Kagura came back to Naraku's side.

"Hmm…tough cookie, huh?" she mused uninterestedly. "Well, that senile old loon _does_ need all the help he can get. His charms are all useless. But still…" she eyed Naraku suspiciously. "Why try so hard to get close to _her_?"

"Why not?" countered Naraku offhandedly. "Don't I deserve the best?"

Kagura scowled and flicked her fan open again. Naraku was infuriating the way he never explained himself properly.

"All will be clear to you in good time, Kagura," he said mysteriously, as if to rub his genius in her face. He was still gazing in the direction Kagome had run off to with, with a devious smile just barely visible on his lips.

"I'm back!" Kagome called.

There was no answer. With a feeling she knew where her grandfather was, Kagome headed for the large shed behind the shrine where he kept all of the charms and other "sacred" objects that he either sold to villagers or kept for their sentimental value as Higurashi family heirlooms.

"Grandpa?" she called again, opening the door to the shed.

"Ah, Kagome!" he cried, looking up. Her grandfather was a short, wide man with a bony face and wrinkled forehead. He had been even more restless than usual for the past few days due to an upcoming festival that was to take place in a nearby town today. Various priests, monks, and sages were to attend, and her grandfather couldn't pass up the chance to try selling his religious paraphernalia to all those attending.

"Have you finished packing the wagon for your trip?" Kagome asked, stepping carefully over a box of who-knew-what.

"Just about!" he said, turning back to the shelves before him. "I just can't for the life of me find that box of demon parts! The one with the mermaid scales and the kappa fins?"

"Sorry, I haven't seen it," Kagome replied. In truth, she had some doubt as to the authenticity of many of her grandfather's relics, but she was never one to discourage him. If she convinced him those demon body parts were fake, he might go out and try to buy real ones, and would probably end up cheated by unscrupulous tradesmen. "Why don't you sell fresh cucumbers instead? Just tell customers about how carving the name and birthdate of a loved one on it and throwing it into any suspicious lake or river will keep any kappa away?"

"A splendid idea!" cried her grandfather, his eyes gleaming. "Would you go into the house and see if we have any?"

"They're right here, grandpa," she said, taking down a basket from a high shelf. "You always keep a big supply as long as they're in season."

Her grandfather took the basket from her and set it aside.

"Hey, grandpa?" Kagome suddenly asked. "Do you think I'm…_odd_?"

"What? My granddaughter, _odd_?" he echoed incredulously. "Where do you get an idea like that?"

"Oh…I don't know," she sighed, sitting down on a large crate. "It's just that…I feel like I don't _fit in_ here. I want _adventure_—_excitement_—and someone to _share_ it with! But there's _no one_ I can _really_ talk to."

"What about _Naraku_?" he asked, digging through a box of odds and ends. "He's a _handsome_ young fella!"

"Oh, grandpa, _he's_ not for me!" she sighed.

"Well, don't you worry!" he said, straightening up with a ceremonial staff in his arms. "This festival could easily mark the start of a whole new life for us, if I can make a good profit and attract more visitors to our shrine! Now, why don't you help me pack the wagon?"

Kagome helped her grandfather pack their wagon and tie everything down. Then, she saddled their cat horse, Buyō and hitched him to the wagon. Her grandfather dressed put a traveling cloak over his Shinto priest's clothing and set out for the road.

"Good luck, Grandpa!"

"Take care while I'm gone, Kagome!"

* * *

><p><strong>From the Author:<strong> In contrast to the prologue, writing this chapter was a much more straight-forward process. Most of you probably saw a lot of the original Disney movie in it, changed slightly to allow Kagome, her Grandpa, Naraku, and Kagura to take on the roles of Belle, her grandpa, Gaston, and Lefou while staying true to their own characters and their origins. In addition to referencing the Disney movie itself, I also referenced the _Disney's Cartoon Tales_ graphic novel adaption of the movie: _Disney's Beauty and the Beast: A Tale of Enchantment_. It's probably ninety percent line-for-line and eighty percent scene-by-scene true to the movie, but without the songs, so it makes for a very handy quick reference to the movie, but there is just enough variation that it helps me freshen up the dialogue and keep from being work-for-word identical to the movie (Also, watching and re-watching clips of the movie alone would be a lot more time consuming!).

I think I was able to successfully create a balance between staying true to the _Beauty and the Beast _movie and true to the characters of _Inuyasha;_ I hope you all will agree! If not, I welcome all of your constructive criticism on how I can make it better!

I am so happy and excited every time this story or I gains a follower or a favorite, and it especially thrills me whenever I get to read a review. To have seven (at the time of publishing this chapter) people tell me how much they enjoyed reading the prologue and how much they look forward to the next chapter just made me feel so happy and grateful, especially when I see that my readers like how I am adapting the story. To all of my readers and followers: Thank you so much for all of your views, favorites, and reviews!


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